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Reducing luggage when traveling has the maximum reduction of CO2 emissions against any methods

Reducing luggage when traveling has the maximum reduction of CO2 emissions against any methods

 

Table of Contents

1: Luggage reduction effect when traveling

2: Comparison with other CO2 emission reduction methods

3: Over 40,000 deaths per year worldwide due to climate change over the past 50 years

 

スーツケース

 

1: Luggage reduction effect when traveling

In our previous post, we examined the carbon dioxide emissions reduction benefits of a 20 kg reduction in luggage when traveling to Japan. In this article, we compare it with other methods of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and explain how significant the effect is.

We reconfirm the carbon dioxide emissions from a 20 kg load of luggage when traveling between Narita Airport in Japan and a major city in each country, as shown in our previous post.

 

Distance from Narita Airport from major cities and carbon dioxide emissions from loaded luggage

Distance from Narita airport (Round trip, km)CO2 emission /20kg luggage(kg)
United States of America (Washington)21,684261
Canada (Toronto)20,594248
Italy (Rome)19,776238
France (Paris)19,416234
United Kingdom (London)19,170231
Germany (Frankfurt)18,730226
Australia (Melbourne)16,344197
Russia (Moscow)14,990180
India (Delhi)11,812142
Indonesia (Jakarta)11,668140
Singapore (Singapore)10,708129
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)10,812130
Thailand (Bangkok)9,292112
Vietnam (Hanoi)7,43690
Philippines (Manila)6,09673
Hong Kong (Hong Kong)5,92271
Taiwan (Taipei)4,36253
China (Beijing)4,26851
South Korea (Seoul)2,51030
Average12,399149

Note: Carbon dioxide emissions for Rome, London, and Moscow are data from Haneda Airport

Source:ICAOECTADEFRAMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

 

The carbon dioxide emissions of the deposit baggage (20 kg) were calculated using data from ECTA (The European Clean Trucking Alliance) “Guidelines for Measuring and Managing CO2 Emission from Freight Transport Operations 2011” of ECTA (The European Clean Trucking Alliance). The carbon dioxide emissions intensity per tonne-kilometer of freight transported by airplanes used in the calculation is 0.602 kgCO2/tkm.

預入手荷物

 

2: Comparison with other CO2 emission reduction methods

The carbon dioxide emissions of the checked baggage (20 kg) identified in the table above would naturally be zero if it were not carried on board the aircraft. We have compared this effect with other carbon dioxide emission reductions that many people practice. Data from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment was used for the carbon dioxide emissions reduction benefits other than luggage.

The first comparison is with “zero food waste at home and in restaurants.” According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, if “food waste from households and in restaurants was reduced to zero”, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 54 kg per person per year. The 54 kg reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by eliminating food loss is almost the same as the 53 kg effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board the aircraft for the round trip from Taipei to Narita Airport. The average effect of reducing checked baggage for major countries visiting Japan is 2.8 times.

食品ロスをゼロ

 

Effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board the aircraft for the round trip and comparison with other methods (1) (checked baggage / other methods)

Zero food wasteUse your own bottlesPlantation of one tree
54kg/person4kg/person0.8kg/one tree
United States of America4.865.3326.3
Canada4.662.0309.9
Italy4.459.5297.6
France4.358.4292.2
United Kingdom4.357.7288.5
Germany4.256.4281.9
Australia3.649.2246
Russia3.345.1225.6
India2.635.6177.8
Indonesia2.635.1175.6
Singapore2.432.2161.2
Malaysia2.432.5162.7
Thailand2.128.0139.8
Vietnam1.722.4111.9
Philippines1.418.391.7
Hong Kong1.317.889.1
Taiwan1.013.165.6
China1.012.864.2
Korea0.67.637.8
Average2.837.3186.6

Note: Other methods have annual carbon dioxide emission reduction benefits

 

Next is the effect of replacing disposable plastic bottles (500 ml) with stainless steel bottles and using them 30 times a year. By replacing disposable plastic bottles, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 4 kg per person per year. The effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage (53 kg) on board the aircraft for a round trip from Taipei to Narita Airport is 13.1 times greater than the effect of replacing the disposable plastic bottles. The average effect of reducing checked baggage in major countries visiting Japan is 37.3 times.

使い捨てのペットボトル

How does this compare with afforestation? Some people who are interested in climate change are planting trees. However, the carbon dioxide reduction effect of planting one tree is only 0.8 kg per year. The effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on the plane when traveling from Taipei to Narita Airport and back (53 kg) is equivalent to 65.6 trees planted. The average effect of reducing checked baggage for major countries visiting Japan is 37.3 times.

植林

Next, we compare this with methods that have a significant impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

 

Effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board the aircraft for the round trip and comparison with other methods (2) (checked baggage / other methods)

When a house shifts to solar powerWhen electric vehicles are charged and used on normal electricityWhen air conditioning is used for one hour less per day
1,275kg/person242kg/person26kg/unit
United States of America0.201.110.0
Canada0.191.09.5
Italy0.191.09.2
France0.181.09.0
United Kingdom0.181.08.9
Germany0.180.98.7
Australia0.150.87.6
Russia0.140.76.9
India0.110.65.5
Indonesia0.110.65.4
Singapore0.100.55.0
Malaysia0.100.55.0
Thailand0.090.54.3
Vietnam0.070.43.4
Philippines0.060.32.8
Hong Kong0.060.32.7
Taiwan0.040.22.0
China0.040.22.0
Korea0.020.11.2
Average0.120.65.7

Note: Other methods have annual carbon dioxide emission reduction benefits

 

If we replace solar panels in a house, the effect of reducing carbon dioxide emissions would be 1,275 kg per person per year. The effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board a plane for a round trip between Washington and Narita Airport (261 kg) is only 0.2 times the effect of installing solar panels. The average effect of reducing checked baggage for major countries visiting Japan is only 0.12 times. However, the installation of solar panels requires significant initial costs.

The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by solar panels is 3.5 kg per day. The average impact of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board is 149 kg, which is 43 times greater than the 3.5 kg per day savings from solar panels.

ソーラーパネル

If electric vehicles are charged and used on normal electricity, the carbon dioxide emission reduction is 242 kg per person per year. However, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment, details such as driving distance and the number of passengers are not available. The effect of switching to electric vehicles is equivalent to the effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board an aircraft when traveling between Toronto and Narita Airport (248 kg). The average effect of reducing checked baggage for major countries visiting Japan is 0.6 times. According to data from the Ministry of the Environment, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per person per year is 467 kg when electric vehicles are charged and used from renewable energy sources. However, the costs of using both electric vehicles and renewable energy are considerably higher.

The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from electric vehicles is 0.66 kg per day (when recharged and used on normal electricity) and 1.28 kg per day (when recharged and used on renewable energy). The average impact of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board the aircraft is 149 kg. This impact is 225 times (when recharged and used on normal electricity) and 116 times (when recharged and used on renewable energy) the daily carbon dioxide emissions reduction by electric vehicles.

電気自動車

Finally, if air conditioners are used for one hour less per day, the carbon dioxide emission reduction effect is 26 kg per vehicle per year. The effect of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board the aircraft for the round trip between Taipei and Narita Airport (53 kg) is almost double the effect of reducing the use of air conditioning by one hour a day. The average effect of reducing checked baggage for major countries visiting Japan is 5.7 times.

エアコンの使用時間

As mentioned above, the carbon reduction effect of not loading the aircraft with checked baggage (20 kg) is very significant when compared to various other methods. It is important to remember that the effect of reduced checked baggage is only for one round trip to Japan, whereas the other methods have a one-year effect.

飛行機と荷物

 

3: Over 40,000 deaths per year worldwide due to climate change over the past 50 years

According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s “WMO ATLAS OF MORTALITY AND ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM WEATHER, CLIMATE AND WATER EXTREMES (1970-2019),” from 1970 to 2019 the number of disasters due to climate change and economic losses from disasters has been increasing every year.

Number of reported disasters

 

Reported economic losses in US$ billion

In the 50 years between 1970 and 2019, there were 2.07 million deaths worldwide due to climate change; a simple average over the 50 years shows that 41 000 people died annually due to climate change. However, the number of deaths is on the decline. This is probably due to the large number of deaths caused by droughts in Africa in the 1970s and 1980s and floods in Asia, which have decreased in recent years.

Number of reported deaths

 

Number of reported deaths

In contrast, the number of deaths in Europe and the South West Pacific (e.g. Australia, and the Philippines) is on the rise. Extreme temperatures are the main cause of death in Europe (93%), while storms are the main cause of death in the South West Pacific (71%).

Number of reported deaths

The number of deaths due to heat stroke in Japan is on the rise. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of deaths due to heat stroke in Japan has been 13,009 over the past 20 years (99-2018).

Number of deaths from heat stroke (Japan)

Thus, the number of disasters and economic losses due to climate change is still not decreasing and the number of deaths in some regions is on the rise.

As mentioned earlier, the carbon reduction benefits of not carrying 20 kg of checked baggage on board an aircraft when traveling are very significant. Despite the huge carbon reduction benefits, the cost is also extremely low.

Furthermore, if you eliminate checked baggage and borrow what you need at the destination, you can have an “easy travel.” You can eliminate the hassle of preparing and carrying luggage. And you don’t have to wash your clothes and tidy up after returning home. This “easy travel” has the effect of increasing the number of trips taken by people who are burdened by luggage, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and people traveling with children, and contributes to solving the “travel divide.” Please consider using our travel rental service.

 

Notice

We are planning to launch a travel rental service next spring to reduce the amount of luggage carried on board airplanes and to make it easier for everyone to travel around the country without hand luggage. Until the rental service is launched, we will be offering free itinerary creation for the first 10 passengers.

I have traveled a cumulative total of more than 200 times, almost every two months, both domestically and internationally, and have created many itineraries. In addition, our company has already compiled a database of more than 20 000 tourist destinations in Japan. We create itineraries according to travelers’ preferences, so please contact us via the ‘Registration / Inquiries section if you would like to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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